Champagne is generally associated with feelings of euphoric excess and the special occasions that prompt them -- New Year's Eve celebrations, weddings, birthdays, promotions. Even if you're in the mood to splurge, a large crowd or a tight budget can prompt the pursuit of cheap Champagne. From France to Spain, Italy, and California, there's enough excellent bubbly to go around for $10 or less. The challenge lies in knowing what you're buying. We considered online reviews and ratings from a variety of sources and consulted a wine expert to come up with our top picks.

If you think cheap white wine is only for grandma's spritzer, think again. There's a white wine -- costing no more than $10 to satisfy almost anyone's palate. Inexpensive white wines can complement a range of foods, brighten up a lazy summer afternoon, and make an excellent substitute for pre-dinner cocktails. White wines typically present fruity and/or floral flavors and aromas, sometimes offer a bit of spice and earthiness, and range in sugar content from bone dry to dessert-level sweet. We've made top picks based on tastings, ratings, reviews, and awards, on top of expert advice, and suspect wine drinkers will find at least one selection to suit both their sipping preferences and their budget.

Who needs a premium red wine when a thoroughly respectable bottle costs $10 or less? Frugal quaffers who know even a little bit about wine and aren't afraid to go with what they like will find many such bottles. There are hundreds of cheap red wines out there -- some barely worth the few dollars you'd pay but many worth drinking. With so many styles, grape varieties, producers, and labels to choose among, shopping can be a challenge. To guide wine drinkers through the thicket, we've made top picks based on tastings, ratings, reviews, awards, and expert advice. We've also selected a wide array of other inexpensive red wines fit to serve with a meal, bring to a party, or sip over the course of a quiet evening.

With just about two weeks left till Christmas, many shoppers are scrambling to find just the right gift for everyone on their holiday lists. If you're among them, don't sweat it. Our latest buying guides are full of ideas, from cheap and easy items from the dollar store to gifts every foodie will love to useful stocking stuffers to gifts for pets, there's something for everyone. Still unsure? Our guide to stores with the most and least generous return policies can make purchasing any gift less stressful. And if all the running around this holiday season has you wondering just how many miles you're racking up, check out our guide to the best, cheap fitness trackers, which can also help focus your fitness goals in the new year. Also new on the blog this week: smart tax moves to make before year-end, how to put your family on a budget, incredible gingerbread house displays across the continent, and more. Updated Buying Guides: Best Cheap Champagne. A buying guide to cheap champagne -- more properly known as sparkling wine -- that can do a celebration proud for less than $10 a bottle. New and Updated Blog Posts: 19 Cheap Holiday Gifts for Pets. Here are 19 holiday gift ideas that furry friends are sure to appreciate. Pet owners will take delight in them, as well. 11 Hangover 'Cures' Debunked. All those alleged hangover cures are little more than myths. There's only one cheap and simple cure that works. Top Fitness Trackers Under $50 to Get You Moving. Get fitter faster with top-rated fitness trackers under $50. Measure calories and get motivated to be more active throughout the day with instant feedback. 25 Delectable Gifts Under $25 for Foodies. From onion goggles to truffle oil, these cheap and practical gifts will keep the gourmet sated and happily cooking all year long. 12 Stocking Stuffers They'll Actually Use. Don't waste money by waiting until the last minute to buy stocking stuffers. These great, practical ideas start as low as $2. 10 Smart Tax Moves to Make Before the End of the Year. Taking steps such as making charitable donations, contributing to a 401(k), and making an extra mortgage payment before the end of the year can help lower 2015 taxes. 10 Toast-Worthy Sparkling Wines for $10 or Less. Any of these 10 budget-priced and flavorful sparkling wines will add festive good cheer to holiday celebrations -- and also deserve a place at the table year-round. 11 Ways to Put Your Family on a Budget for the New Year. Start the new year right with these 11 budgeting tips to get your financial house in order and help your family get on the right path. 12 Holiday Gifts You Can Get at the Dollar Store. Whether you're shopping for family, friends, or co-workers, dollar stores are a convenient source for inexpensive holiday gifts. 16 Incredible Gingerbread House Displays That Are Worth a Trip. Elaborate and mostly edible, these 16 gingerbread houses are anything but tame. Plan a trip, check out the displays, and maybe even take a piece home. 25 Places to Go for Spectacular New Year's Eve Fireworks. Catch the New Year's Eve fireworks displays in these 25 places, many of which also host free and family-friendly activities to usher in 2017. Love Chocolate? 10 Places You Have to Try the Hot Cocoa. Whether you're in New York, Chicago, or Austin, gourmet hot cocoa is a great way to warm up -- here are some of the best cups of liquid heaven across the country. Best 'Main Street' Shopping Districts in All 50 States. Here are 50 great places to shop while enjoying small town scenery, setting, people, and pace, all far, far away from crowded, chaotic megamalls. 10 Stores With Strict Return Policies. Some retailers are more forgiving about returns during the holiday season, but these 10 stores have strict return policies every shopper should know. 13 Stores With Amazing Return Policies. Holiday shopping is stressful enough without having to worry about returning an item. These 13 stores offer generous return policies -- and peace of mind. 11 Inexpensive Winter Cruises to Sunny Destinations. Winter can be exactly the right season to land a huge bargain on a getaway cruise to someplace warm and sunny like the Bahamas or Puerto Vallarta. 8 Ways to Give to Charity and Get a Tax Break for 2016. Tax-deductible donations to charity pay off personally and financially. Here are eight tips for claiming tax savings in 2016. 15 Inexpensive Ways to Make Overnight Holiday Guests Feel at Home. A few minor touches such as slippers and extra towels can make a huge difference in the comfort level of overnight holiday guests -- and their hosts.

Secret Shows Feature Famous Performers for Less

On Tuesday, Feb. 4, around 11 p.m., word hit the Internet that Prince would play an impromptu "open soundcheck" at the Electric Ballroom in London. Twitter was flooded with messages about the surprise performance and the venue was flooded with would-be attendees. A few hundred people were treated to an intimate show, the first in a series of "guerilla gigs" throughout the city this month.

For publicity, fun, or to give back to true fans, many well-known artists play similar secret shows that cost far less to see than any on Ticketmaster. Sometimes a group will book a gig under a pseudonym and attendees will have no idea who they're actually going to see until the lights flood the stage. The pseudonym may be a hint that only loyal fans would pick up on. Arcade Fire has appeared as the Reflektors to promote the release of their album Reflektor -- pretty obvious if you know what you're looking for. Arena acts sometimes play "warm-up" shows before big tours, as the Rolling Stones did for $20 a ticket at the Echoplex in Los Angeles last year. Up-and-coming bands have also taken to these types of surprise performances as a way to build awareness and hype.

Most spur-of-the-moment shows take place in large cities where the performers live, but unsuspecting fans can also be surprised by an act that's just passing through. That's what happened to Kim Karelis of Boston when she was enjoying a meal at The Darby, a now-closed supper club in New York, in 2012. She had been told that high-profile musicians sometimes stop by for a bite and perform a song -- the previous week Bruno Mars had done just that. Sure enough, Lionel Richie hopped on stage for a quick rendition of "Hello."

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On the way to work.

They say three makes a trend -- if that's the case, then commuters may want to keep their eyes and ears open. Few people noticed when Joshua Bell, a world-renowned violinist, played in a metro station in Washington, DC, for 45 minutes in 2007. Prime seats for his sold-out performance just two days before at Boston's Symphony Hall commanded more than $100 apiece. In 2011, the singer Avril Lavigne hopped between subway stations and moving subway cars in New York with three bandmates. They made about $16 during the performance (and promptly gave it away). Then, last year, crooner Michael Buble performed at New York's Lincoln Center subway station before a small group of passers-by. More recently, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis took the "stage" on a New York City bus to perform a hit song for a Grammy promo.

Island hopping.

Meredith Hannon experienced a surprise performance on the tiny Caribbean island of Grand Cayman in 2009. She and her husband were there on their honeymoon from Virginia and stopped to try some rum cake samples at a Margaritaville restaurant in George Town. Intrigued by an "awesome"-sounding Jimmy Buffett cover band, they dropped the cake and ran upstairs when they learned that the group was, in fact, Mr. Buffett and his band. He has played similar impromptu shows at Margaritaville locations in the Caribbean and his sister's restaurant, LuLu's, in Gulf Shores, Ala.

At a comedy club.

Guest appearances and surprise shows aren't solely the province of musicians. Many well-known actors and comedians enjoy jumping onstage unannounced. Comedian Dan Nainan related to us an encounter with Jerry Seinfeld at the Gotham Comedy Club in New York. According to the club's website, audiences have seen drop-in appearances by Jim Gaffigan, Judah Friedlander, and Louis C.K. The Comedy Cellar and Carolines are two other New York venues known for surprise guests. The Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) Theatre in the Chelsea neighborhood regularly hosts famous comedians -- even during the free Sunday-night show.

Of course, you can't predict when something like this might happen; it is supposed to be a secret, after all. Even if you live in New York or London, nailing down a single venue as a go-to spot is hard to do. Following artists' official feeds and well-connected individuals on Twitter is perhaps the surest way to get a heads-up your favorite band has something brewing. The Stones show popped up on their Twitter feed the same day and Prince's performance was announced by his manager on Twitter just a few hours before it happened. Artists' fan clubs are generally free to join and may also give you an inside track.